This book explores how the Covid-19 pandemic triggered profound changes in the practice and consumption of digital journalism.

Featuring original research from around the globe, the volume examines key challenges of covering the pandemic from Zimbabwe to China and the UK. The research shows that the pandemic amplified threats to press freedom. At the same time, it took an emotional toll on journalists, who worried about their exposure to Covid-19 and dealt with challenges associated with a growing reliance on digital tools, as well as difficulties accessing sources and hostile reactions from audiences.

Charting the consequences of an increasingly complex media ecosystem, the volume addresses the rise of distrust in mainstream media, the influence of “alternative” news outlets, and the surge of misinformation and conspiracy theories. The volume also examines the polarized reactions of audiences and the complex relationship between public trust, government actions, and journalistic organisations. Despite the challenges, there are signs of increased audience engagement with news, pointing to a potential positive shift in journalism’s societal role.

This volume is essential reading for scholars and students in media and journalism studies seeking a comprehensive understanding of how the pandemic reshaped digital journalism.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Digital Journalism.

Thorsten Quandt is Professor of Communication Studies and Dean, Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the University of Münster, Germany. He (co)published more than 200 scientific articles and several books. Quandt is a Fellow of the International Communication Association (ICA). His research and teaching fields include online communication, media innovation research, digital games and journalism.

Karin Wahl-Jorgensen is Professor in the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture and serves as University Dean of Research Environment and Culture. Her research focuses on journalism and citizenship, and she has authored or edited ten books. Recent books include Emotions, Media and Politics (2019), Digital Citizenship in a Datafied Society (2019, with Arne Hintz and Lina Dencik), and Handbook of Journalism Studies, 2nd edition (2020, Routledge, co-edited with Thomas Hanitzsch).